Month: February 2019

Despite the massive social backlash against the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) that sees tens out thousands of motorists refusing to pay the toll charges, Sanral has gaily skipped ahead and announced its fee increases for the year.

Toll fees across South Africa will increase again on March 1, adding yet more financial pain to already embattled consumers. The Automobile Association (AA) says these increases will co-incide with a likely increase to fuel prices in March, which, given the current data, look set to be significant. These increases will apply country-wide to all tolled roads.

“With the increase to fuel levies which comes into effect in April, the addition of a Carbon Tax on fuel (effective in June), the likely increase to fuel prices in March, and, now, the increase to toll fees across the country, consumers will see their money diminish even more,” notes the Association.

The AA says while the tolls for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) are increasing in line with inflation, this will be of little solace to consumers who have either not received increases to their wages and salaries or whose increases have either been in line with or lower than that.

“It may be convenient to keep increases in line with inflation from a messaging perspective but the reality is that multiple increases to taxes, levies and tolls will have a cumulative effect. Consumers who are already struggling to make ends meet in our fragile economy will be even more hard-pressed now with the result that many may be forced to make decisions on whether to continue paying for e-tolls.. The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) may not like the outcome of these decisions,” says the AA.

This, the AA notes, is especially important given SANRAL’s admission in Parliament in 2017 the compliance rate for e-toll users on GFIP is only around 30%.

“We again call on SANRAL to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the motoring public in Gauteng instead of simply increasing its tolls annually. By increasing these tolls SANRAL is, essentially, punishing the 30% who are already paying, instead of trying to find a new way forward for all road users and to bring the remaining 70% of non-payers into the fold,” says the AA.

The Association says, given the different messaging around e-tolls in Gauteng, there is a need to fast-track a process which will bring a uniform policy approach between the provincial and national government on the matter.

“Clarifying exactly what the way forward is for e-tolls is critical, especially given that are significant differences of approach between different structures. This is leading to substantial confusion among the province’s road users,” says the AA.

According to the AA the increasing costs associated with road travel in South Africa will make everything more expensive, and will certainly have a direct and indirect impact on consumers.

“It also makes it harder for job seekers to find work as few of them have the resources to pay current transport costs, let alone increased fees. This, in particular, is worrying given the country’s high unemployment rate,” says the AA.

Consumers currently pay R5,34 towards indirect taxes on every litre of petrol bought, and R5,19 on every litre of diesel.

This is comprised of R3,37 (petrol) and R3,22 (diesel) for the General Fuel Levy, R1,93 for the RAF levy (for petrol and diesel) and four cents for customs and excise taxes (petrol and diesel).

With the increases announced in the Budget Speech recently, these levies will now increase by a combined 29 cents for petrol and 30 cents for diesel, which include a nine and ten cent addition for the Carbon Tax on petrol and diesel respectively.

From April the total cost of the levies (General Fuel, RAF, customs and excise, and the new Carbon Tax) will amount to R5,63 for petrol and R5,49 for diesel.

Graphs
For illustrative purposes, below is a breakdown of current and historic rates, as well as the financial impact for a day trip, on the GFIP from Soweto to Pretoria. This trip will cost the consumer an additional 4.35% in tolls from March 2019 compared to March 2018. This represents a R43.22 increase from R826.80 to R864.40. Since 2015 this has increased by R165.40. NOTE: These tariffs exclude monthly caps were applicable.

The rising demand by car buyers for SUV-styled options around the world is evidenced by the fact some automakers have already announced the discontinuation of sedan manufacture – but, economic pressures are often dictating a change from extensive derivative ranges with wide specification gaps to a more target market approach.

This is true with the latest generation of the Kia Sorento, its range cut by three – one at the bottom and two at the top – to focus on a mid-spec model and slightly higher specification across a range of four vehicles, two of which are all-wheel drive.

Finally, a newly adopted electronic swirl control valve in the intake manifold further reduces emissions by more carefully controlling the intake of oxygen to the combustion chamber. CO2 emissions are 164 g/km and 170 g/km for the front-wheel and all-wheel drive versions respectively.

It is also is the first SUV from Kia available with the company’s new eight-speed automatic transmission that boasts 143 newly-patented technologies and delivers a slick-shifting, more decisive drive while reducing emissions.

Compared to other automatic transmissions, Kia’s new eight-speed unit requires fewer control valves, enabling a more direct mechanical link to the engine. This allows the transmission to shift more quickly than the outgoing six-speed automatic transmission, and enables acceleration that is more decisive.

The new transmission offers four different drive modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart. Drivers can select their preferred mode with the Sorento’s electronic Drive Mode Select system. Each mode enables the driver to customise the powertrain’s responses to driver inputs, enhancing fuel economy or acceleration characteristics depending on driver preference.

All good and well on paper – so how does the Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDI EX AWD (R639 995) actually measure up?

Overall average fuel consumption was 8,1 l/100 km using a mix of the driving modes with a bland highway run in Eco getting this down to 7,6 l/100 km.

The gearbox is superbly smooth and in Sport mode gets the car energised with a true ‘hurry up’ feel to it that makes it rather fun to pedal around, albeit at the expense of fuel economy. For a big car, it also handles well and it is possible to carry good speed into a corner so momentum is not lost and the gearbox is not hunting for the right slot.

That said, too much speed and it will plough on like a politician’s speech until the traction control can restore a semblance of order.

The current generation Kia Sorento made its global debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, and was introduced in South Africa in June 2015.

The enhanced Kia Sorento now sports a tighter, sharper exterior design. The revised front-end features a more detailed radiator grille, flanked by a new headlamp configuration featuring projection headlamps and revised LED Daytime Running Lights on higher specification models.

Enhancements to the rear design also include a new bumper design, sleeker tail lamps, and a subtly revised tailgate. All models ride on newly designed 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 235/60 R18 rubber and have a full-sized spare wheel.

Inside, numerous upgrades and enhancements include a new, more tactile steering wheel, a new gearshift lever and a revised instrument cluster with improved graphics. The redesign also includes alterations to the air vents and the centre console design.
All model derivatives offer seating for up to seven passengers, with leather upholstery as standard across the board. Featuring 40/20/40 second row split folding seats with a higher folding centre armrest, these seatbacks can be ‘remotely’ folded by conveniently located levers in the side of the cargo bay.

The third row seats fold away flat in the luggage compartment, ensuring luggage space is not compromised when the seats are not in use. When the seats are folded flat, Sorento offers 605 litres of luggage space, and features an under-floor tonneau cover storage compartment and integrated cargo net to secure loose items.

All derivatives have a new 8-inch colour touchscreen with embedded Satellite Navigation, from which occupants can also control audio, whether it is a favourite radio station, via the USB/Aux jacks, or through their mobile device via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety and driver assistance systems include anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), six crash bags and ISOFIX child seat anchors. Drivers also benefit from Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Hill-start Assist, while all models feature Park Distance Control at the rear, linked to a reverse camera displayed on the 8-inch colour touchscreen.

Comfortable and easy to drive, the Sorento is a practical application for both private and business users – the former as a family vehicle, Mom’s Taxi and tourer with the latter as hotel transport, exclusive tour company transport and the like.

All-wheel drive is often touted as a safety factor but, whether it is truly worth the extra cost is a debatable point – and it is highly unlikely owners will be using these vehicles to do any off-highway driving where 4×4 is a necessity.

All Sorento have Kia’s unlimited kilometre, five-year warranty, as well as a standard 5-year/100 000 km service plan and 3-years of roadside assistance.

Education is both a fundamental right and an absolute necessity, the two elements often needing the intervention of big business and/or sponsorships to provide support to bolster and improve on what the State or local government offers.

One such provider is the annual Rally to Read, a Read Educational Trust initiative that supplies educational reading to schools in rural areas.

”Rally to Read is an extraordinary story – of caring, collaboration and hope,” says President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Read started as a small voluntary committee in Soweto at the end of 1979 in response to the student demands of 1976 for reading and library facilities. So great was the demand from both the community and the funders that, within five years, Read had spread to almost all the then provinces except the Northern Transvaal and the North West.

This year, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) collaborated with the Read Educational Trust to support its Rally to Read education initiative in Mpumalanga.

The campaign took place in the Hazyview area, with representatives from Ford joining the Rally to Read team during their visits to 10 schools in the White Hazy district, where books were donated for the foundation phase classes.

A total of 173 teachers and 8 890 learners from the 10 schools in this region will benefit from the Ford-backed Rally to Read project, providing them with more than 10 000 foundation phase books, 110 educational toys and games and 250 arts and crafts sets.

“As part of Ford’s community programmes, we strive to make a meaningful impact in three key areas, comprising education, road safety and environmental conservation. The Rally to Read initiative is a perfect fit for our education pillar, as it assists in uplifting and better equipping rural primary school teachers and learners,” says Neale Hill, Managing Director, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa.

“We are delighted to partner with Rally to Read with a contribution of R1,3-million for 2019 to empower teachers, learners and their parents for a brighter, more prosperous future.”

Rally to Read aims to enhance education in remote rural areas through training workshops, mentorships and the delivery of carefully selected books to enable sound teaching methodologies to be implemented.

“Education provides the foundation for community empowerment and upliftment, and the rural areas of South Africa face the biggest challenges in terms of the quality of teaching available, and the resulting poor levels of literacy amongst learners,” says Bertus Matthee, National Director of the Read Educational Trust.

“We are extremely grateful for the support from Ford, as its active participation and backing of the Rally to Read project will create crucial building blocks for under-equipped teaching staff to provide better education for our current learners and future leaders.”

This social media thing is a fascinating, if frustrating, beast we humans have created for ourselves in which, for the life of me, I fail to understand why the overwhelmingly ignorant are generally the first respondents to posts about new cars I drive with asinine comments that are often also completely off topic.

Take the ‘dude’ who private messaged me to ask if Mitsubishi named the Eclipse such because it was powered by the sun. Dude! WTF!

No, it is not powered by the sun. It is, in fact, given life by a 2,0-litre MIVEC DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine that uses ECI-Multi Point Fuel Injection with an output of 110 kW at 6 000 r/min and 198 Nm of torque at 4 200 r/min.

Coupled to this engine, the INVECS-III CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with its 6-step Sports Mode delivers effortless acceleration from any speed, slick gear changes and a smooth ride. The driver can also control the shift steps via the Paddle Shifts behind the steering wheel. Keeping the engine at optimum performance at all times, the CVT enhances fuel efficiency.

All this is possible due to a new modified torque converter & damper assembly, changes in final gear ratios and software.

The all-new Eclipse Cross CVT will be available in 4×2 and all-wheel drive (AWD). I drove only the 4×2 on the launch event but came away impressed with the CVT that did not whine its way to finding a gear and made positive moves both up and down the range.

Equally, ride comfort and road-holding were both good on the tar and doing some low flying on dirt roads – where, mercifully, the standard traction control allows a good dose of sideways before stepping in.

The latest arrival in the Mitsubishi Motors South Africa stable expands the local product offering to six distinctive models in the range (ASX, Outlander, Pajero, Pajero Sport, Triton and now the Eclipse Cross).

“Eclipse Cross, which surpassed the global sales milestone of 80 000 units since its international launch 12 months ago, boasts a coupé-like exterior and is perceived more modern, distinctive, dynamic, advanced and sportier than most of its competitors,” says Nic Campbell, General Manager of Mitsubishi Motors South Africa.

Winning a host of international awards, including the prestigious Good Design award for Design Excellence and Design Innovation, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross was named the Automotive Researchers’ & Journalists’ Conference of Japan “RJC Car of the Year 2019”.

No, it is not powered by the sun – but the design-speak rationale says: “Like the ring of sunlight from behind the moon in a full eclipse, the sharply sculpted character line makes the Eclipse Cross appear as if the body was carved from a single block of metal.”

Auto design-speak, like wine-speak, involves stringing a horde of adjectives together without necessarily saying anything – however, in this instance I would leave it at the Eclipse Cross is a handsome beast, although the jury is still out on the combo rear light bar cum spoiler that splits the rear window.

While driving it is not distracting to the driver and still allows good rearward visibility, it is a love it or hate it kind of feature.

Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) is the integration of the vehicle dynamics control system with the controls of each component around the all-wheel drive system, offering the driver additional safety and comfortable driving.

If the driver unintentionally brakes or accelerates too much in a normal turn in slippery conditions, the system helps the driver to maintain control safely with usual steering inputs.

On the inside the Eclipse Cross offers bolstered seats giving the driver relaxed support and the standard Heads Up Display (HUD) conveys relevant vehicle information in full colour above the instrument cluster for easy viewing. The image brightness and display height can be adjusted to suit driver preference and time of day.

In the AWD version, the driver can choose the Auto, Snow or Gravel drive mode depending on road conditions to enhance accuracy, straight-line stability and manoeuvrability on slippery surfaces.

Mitsubishi claims fuel consumption of 7,9 l/100 km (combined cycle) for the 4×2 – we averaged (on the computer in the car) 11,2 l/100 km on the launch run.

The introduction of Eclipse Cross as part of Mitsubishi Motors’ compact SUV range in South Africa has created the opportunity for the company to realign the ASX range with the introduction of two new derivatives – the ASX ES M/T and an ES 6-speed CVT derivative – with its retail prices at R359 995 and R379 995 respectively.

Both models are covered by Mitsubishi’s Manufacturer’s Warranty of 3 years or 100 000 km, a 5-year / 90 000 km Service Plan and a 5-year / unlimited mileage Roadside Assistance. Service intervals are every 15 000 km.

There is a completely new look – but same price – for the Suzuki Vitara for 2019 with new headlamps and a redesigned grille contributing to a fresh a more modernised look for the off-roader that has sold some 1 700 units locally since its introduction in 2015.

In front, new clear headlamp clusters flank a redesigned grille with horizontal slats and a large Suzuki S badge. Lower down, the bumper features a trapezoidal air intake with deep-set fog lamps (on certain models). For the GLX specification level, the main driving lights are LED.

The vertical LED daytime running lights are enclosed in a new J-shaped chrome insert (black on the GL spec level), which extends from the edges of the black number plate housing to the top of the fog lamps and the optional silver scuff plate and side mouldings now integrate with the new bumper design, both in front and at the rear.

At the rear, the new combination lamp is fitted with LED lights that mimic the daytime running lights in the front and on the GLX, the front and rear bumpers are fitted with flush mounted parking sensors.

Inside, the upper instrument panel is now made from soft touch materials and on the GLX specification level there is a new seat trim material that is both more luxurious and hardy. On the GL+ model, the designers have replaced the black stitching on all seats with contrasting white stitching and on the GLX specification level, the seats are covered with a combination of luxury suede and synthetic leather.

For the driver, Suzuki has fitted the GL+ and GLX models with a new 4,2-inch full colour LCD information display and a 3,5-inch monochrome LCD on the GL specification level. This screen displays information such as driving range, average speed, outside temperature, a gear shift indicator and, on AllGrip models, the selected Driving Mode.

Suzuki added a second large screen in its new Smart Linkage Display Audio system, which replaces the more traditional analogue system on the GL+ and GLX models. This new touchscreen system features smartphone integration, built-in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. It will display the reverse camera image in full colour.

Standard features include power windows (front only on the GL model), central locking, air-conditioner with pollen filter, power steering and foldable rear seats.

All models come with seven crash bags (including one for the driver’s knees), electronic stability control (ESP) and anti-lock brakes with emergency brake assistance.

Powering the Suzuki Vitara is the 1.6 VVT petrol engine, which delivers 86 kW at 6 000 r/min and 156 Nm at 4 400 r/min and it is mated to the choice of a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox and offered either as front-wheel drive or with the AllGrip all-wheel drive system.

The refreshed Vitara will be sold with Suzuki’s promotional 200 000 km / 5-year vehicle warranty. It also has a 4-year / 60 000 km service plan and roadside assistance for the duration of the vehicle warranty.

It is motor show time again with the Cape Town Motor Show (CTMS) ready to open its doors at GrandWest Casino and Entertainment Worl from March 2 to March 3.

Here are just 10 of the awesome reasons to get to the Cape Town Motor Show.

1. Dare a Drift flip or Go With a Pro at Driftkhana
The highly-specialised skill of drifting will be on full-throttle display with all the spectacular action hosted by XS Promotions. For those who want to do more than to simply watch the wheel-spinning and tyre-smoking, there’s the opportunity to take a drift flip, or even go with a pro as passenger at the Driftkhana event, where obstacles are added into the mix. Tickets to both can be purchased separately via Computicket or at the show.

2. View and Test the New Models in The Grand Arena
The Grand Arena is the place to see the very best new models and concepts from the top manufacturers in South Africa. Joining us this year are Maserati, BMW, Shelby, Lexus, Mazda, Toyota, Suzuki, amongst others. Best of all, several of the brands will offer test drives on-site. What are you still even thinking about?

3. Rock with Dusty Rebels and The Bombshells and The Miss Bombshell Betty Pageant
After their wildly popular debut at CTMS last year, Dusty Rebels and the Bombshells will be back, offering visitors an experience of the good old days of vintage 40s, 50s and 60s Rock n Roll style. Check out the cars, the fashion and the music of the era, and make a point of attending the Miss Bombshell Betty pageant, hosted by the always-delightful Blue Haired Betty on Sunday 3 March at 2pm.

4. Challenge the 4×4 Challenge Tracks
The Wildebeest 4×4 Challenge Club hosts the ever-popular 4×4 track on both Saturday and Sunday, built for all classes of vehicles to challenge technical skills as well as different vehicle capabilities. Saturday’s highlight will be the Extreme 4×4 Challenge, so come and see how these extraordinary 4x4s ramp and jump their way through the highly technical course, or join as a passenger to experience the thrill first-hand.

5. Kit up in The Sun Exhibits Hall
There are lots of extras that go with being a car owner. And it will pay to visit the Sun Exhibits Hall, where all the dealers and suppliers that make motoring such a personal pleasure will be offering deals and discounts on products like insurance, parts, accessories, apparel, collectors’ items and gear.

6. Get the Full VIP Zone Experience
The much-desired VIP ticket gets you some special treatment this year. Besides access to the exclusive VIP area in the Sun Park, you receive a light lunch, drinks vouchers, a drift ride from the folks at XS promotions, a 4×4 drive experience from the Wildebeest Challenge Club, a CTMS cap and shirt, with an entry to win the amazing custom MG build by Cape Kustoms. A great all-round CTMS experience for just R950 via Computicket.

7. Enter the Show & Shine Stancewars
Leading audio experts Soundmatch will deliver a world class Show & Shine event called Stancewars on Sunday 3 March, with a wide range of the finest cars showcasing custom builds. Anyone can enter their pride and joy at any Soundmatch branch around the city. Prizes on offer include Best Wheel, Best Classic Car, Best Interior, Best Race Theme, and others.

8. Join the Sound Off Competition and World Record Attempt
Soundmatch will also host an internationally recognised Sound Off audio competition in association with IASCA (the standard by which mobile electronics performance is measured). The louder the sound, the greater the chance to win, and the aim this year is to beat the world record for collective volume. There are limited entries, though, at R200 per car. Enter at any Soundmatch branch around Cape Town.

9. Time Travel in the Market Hall Nostalgia Zone
The Nostalgia Zone has been so popular with visitors, it has been given the entire Market Hall this year. Join the Crankhandle Club for a trip down automotive memory lane, with its vehicles dating as far back as the early 1900s. Check out some of the most rare and unique motor vehicles in the world, including beautifully restored models and the products that make it possible for these classics to be brought back to their original or showroom conditions.

10. Enter the Ultimate Classic Car Giveaway
A highlight for true classic fans is the opportunity to drive away with a custom rebuild of a 1970s era MGB GT. This special project boasts a complete rebuild, some unique Cape Kustoms elements and a 3,9-litre Rover V8 motor. Enter to win by purchasing some CTMS merchandise at the MG display, and look out for the additional bike giveaway, details of which are yet to be revealed.

To help celebrate 120 years of Opel production, Unitrans (the Opel distributors in South Africa) is bringing the Opel Corsa Special Edition to market in March.

The Opel Corsa 120Y Special Edition is based on the Corsa Enjoy but boasts many extra styling and specification features including the New Tech Pack III with Front/Rear Park-Assist and Rear-View Camera; Window Side Lower Beltline with Chrome Moulding; ‘Opel’ Door Sill Plate; Up-market ‘Allure’ Jet Black Cloth Trim and Velour Floor Mats (Black with ‘120 Years’ Stitching).

The Opel brand has a reputation spanning well over a century of pioneering high-tech advancements and quickly bringing them to series production. This approach to vehicle manufacturing makes mobility affordable for many and Opel cars safer, cleaner, more comfortable and more practical.

The 120 years advertising campaign, ‘Opel. Born in Germany. Made for everyone’ is based on this philosophy. Today this philosophy matches the Opel Corsa more than any other model in its category.

More than 13,5-million Corsas have been produced worldwide since 1982. The Opel Corsa thus plays a leading role in Opel’s 120 year anniversary.

The Opel Corsa in general and the Corsa ‘120 Years’ in particular, show it is a core Opel brand characteristic to always offer customers more than they expect in the respective vehicle categories in which Opel competes.

Opel has been in South Africa for more than 80 years and has the positive reputation of always offering luxury level specifications that stamps a German-engineered punch high above their price category.